Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One) (5 page)

“So how does their shape shifting work?”

“Well, encantado and selkie turn into human-forms differently,” he started. “For the selkie, it’s easiest to think of them as wearing a wet suit. Once they leave the sea, they peel off their sealskin and walk the land like a normal human. It’s kind of weird to think about it.”

“Seriously? Their skin just peels off?”

He nodded. “It can get a little tricky for the selkie because they have to be really careful not to misplace their skin. If they do, they can’t return to the water in their sprite form.”

“So I take it this has happened before?”

His head bobbed again. “Throughout history, there’ve been stories of a woman falling in love with a selkie. Over time the woman uncovered his secret, then stole his skin so the selkie couldn’t ever leave her.”

“Talk about a forced relationship.”

“For real,” he said with a laugh. “Now for the encantado, they don’t worry about someone trapping them on land. For them, they just have to be more incognito. When an encantado transforms, he or she looks completely like a human except for the top of their head.”

After a glance at my puzzled face, he continued. “For whatever reason, their blowhole still remains. Because of this a hat is always used to cover it up. Another unique characteristic is the bright clothing.”

The more Adrian spoke of them, the more his words convinced me that my abductor was really an encantado. That was how in the waves he disappeared and a dolphin appeared.

It also turned out that the dolphin that knocked the selkie off of my net was actually the same encantado. His name was Clemente.

I couldn’t help it…. I felt bad for thinking he was a sick pervert who kidnapped me and left me to drown. In his own warped way, he tried to help me. I still wasn’t sure why he captured me in such a dramatic fashion. If some dude approached me and told me I was a sprite, I’d think he was mad. Although unwelcome, I couldn’t pinpoint a better way to clue me in about my alter ego⎯at least at the present moment.

The last types of sprites were known as the water fairies. Or, just fae for short. Now these guys were cool and quite unique. In fact, the fae were the only sprites that walked on land and swam in the water in the same exact form. No fins, no transformations, no nothing. Just two webbed feet.

Although, there was a catch. Another thing my mom always said was if something was too good to be true, it probably was. Water fairies could only breathe fresh water.

Up until this point, my mind pieced together that perhaps I was fae, but the whole fresh water thing ended that thought. I currently breathed saltwater and all.

Like the merfolk and nixies, two main types of water fairies still existed: the Gwragedd Annwn and the Ardudwy.

Those names were not only hard to pronounce but also rather difficult to remember.

“We typically just refer to them as the Fae of Elfin Lake and the Fae of Gwynedd. Makes it easier,” Adrian offered.

“I’d say so.”

“The Elfin and the Gwynedd actually have a lot in common, both in appearance and their behavior.”

“In what ways?”

“Well, for starters, they both chose to stay in Wales after the battle between the Trackers and the Guardians. As far as looks, pale skin and Tudor style clothing is the norm.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to picture. So Adrian suggested I imagine someone who’d just stepped out of the Renaissance.

“Oh and there’s another odd thing about their clothes. The fae always appeared to look wet, ready to drip at any moment,” Adrian said.

Now I can sometimes be socially awkward, but the fae definitely won. Not only did they drip, but also their emotions worked backwards. At weddings, they mourned and at funerals, they sang and laughed. I imagined this turned some heads or caused some uncomfortable tension.

“There you have it,” Adrian finished, a confident smile on his face. “And it looks like the game is over.”

One quick glance to my left proved him to be right. I was so enthralled in hearing about “my kind” that I hardly paid attention to the juking, tackling, and field goal kicking that went on right below us. I vaguely recalled outbursts of cheers when a team did well, but besides that, Adrian and I were in our own little world.

Although, after my introduction to sprites, a void still plagued my stomach. I licked my already wet lips.

“Adrian, you’ve described the merfolk, the nixies, and the water fairies. And I’m clearly not any of them… so what am I?”

“All right, it’s time we visit my grandmother.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Entering the Quad was a lot different this time around. It bustled. Merfolk, selkie, and encantado darted every which way. Many manned stands and peddled goods. Some carried large bundles. Others simply moseyed around.

Horse-like things even pulled carts. In the front, they resembled a horse, but they had a tail of a large fish. Adrian later filled me in that these creatures were called hippocampus.

“I, um… this is amazing.”

“This is pretty much how it is every day. In the morning, merfolk go out in search of food and supplies, and then sell their goods here in the afternoon.”

“Do we have time to take a look?”

He pondered, but I dashed off before he could respond how we were “in a hurry.” Perhaps there was some Mami Wata in me because I went straight for the baubles. One stand in particular displayed the most spectacular looking necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Much of the jewelry was fashioned from old fishing lines and various items.

I supposed anything humans lost at sea became free game for sprites to use. Fishing hooks, broken glass, and even an old watch face were just a few things I identified amidst the jewelry. There were things I expected to see too, like stunning pearls and stones the water smoothed perfectly.

I was in heaven. “These are so pretty.”

“Yes, they are,” came an unfamiliar, stern voice.

I whirled around, creating a cloud of bubbles, inches from a wrinkled face; a face that clearly looked upset. I also noticed Adrian cowered slightly at her presence. The family resemblance was uncanny. Like Adrian, she had pale skin. She also had dark hair, but hers was almost completely gray. And to keep herself decent she wore a white wrap around her torso, very toga-like.

“Adrianus, where have you been?” she chided. “You were instructed to bring Annabelle directly to me.”

At the sound of his formal name, Adrian averted his eyes like a little boy being scolded. I hated to admit it, but it came across as incredibly endearing.

“I’m sorry, YaYa. I didn’t know how long we were going to be here and I wanted to make sure Annabelle saw Tritonis a little.”

“Very well,” she said, her voice sounding not quite as scary. “But now we must get started.”

She turned to me before she continued, “Annabelle, my name is Athena, but you may call me YaYa.”

With that, she swam away. Adrian immediately followed. She didn’t even wait for my response. I was hesitant to leave the Quad. I wanted to explore further, but alas, playtime was over. YaYa, which I’m pretty sure translated to grandmother in Greek, meant business.

As I followed, I noticed merfolk cleared a path for Adrian and his grandmother. Some bowed out of respect. Others simply nodded and wished them well.

“What’s going on?” I whispered to Adrian. “Why is everyone jumping out of the way for us?

“As a sign of respect. Honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s actually a little embarrassing. When it’s just me, people are more casual, but when YaYa is around they act more formally.”

“But why?”

“Um, yeah, I haven’t told you about that yet.”

“Tell me what, Adrian?”

He hesitated a moment. “I’m not just any Triton. I told you how some people adopted the name over time. Well, my family and I are direct descendants of Triton.”

“Are you telling me you’re some kind of royalty?”

Which, quick side note, helped to clarify why Adrian referred to the Tritons as “his people” earlier.

“Yes, I’m the Prince of Tritonis and YaYa is the Queen.”

“Seriously!?” I smacked him on the arm. “That’s too cool!”

With my outburst, YaYa looked back. I quickly stifled my excitement, my body going still. My momentum was all that carried me forward within the water.

“It is okay, dear,” she said, momentarily showing her softer side. “You can be excited. There is a lot for you to learn and a lot that you will face. It is our job to prepare you.”

“Okay, your Majesty, I’m eager to learn.”

I had no clue what I was supposed to learn or why I used such a stuffy title to refer to her, but I couldn’t think of any other response at the moment. My mind spun from the new information. I’d spent the entire day with a prince.

“Please, Annabelle, call me YaYa,” she said again, ending my thought.

“Yes, ma’am. Um, Adrian told me that you’d be able to explain what’s going on and what I am?”

She gestured toward the palace. “Of course, shall we go inside first?”

I had one initial thought as my eyes followed her outstretched hand:
Wow.

Then all my other thoughts snowballed. First of all, the palace was huge. Beyond that, it was made out of a light gray stone in a large U shape. Watchtowers capped off the two ends, and, in the middle of the U, a huge drawbridge lowered as an invitation to come inside.

Ivy covered the façade. The deep green leaves snaked up the walls and around dozens of arched windows. Unlike the buildings in town, glass filled these windows, some even stained glass.

It appeared that the only way in or out was the drawbridge. Of course, the bridge didn’t cover anything since water was everywhere, but it made for an impressive front door.

I raced the remaining distance to the castle to see inside.

Wow, again.

The foyer, just like everything else in Tritonis, caused my jaw to drop. A gold statue of Triton, similar to the one in the Quad, was centered in the room, but this one appeared even larger.

The entire ceiling consisted of a glass skylight, letting the light of the corals flood the room. Portraits trimmed in gold covered every inch of space on the walls above and around me.

YaYa swung her arm to demonstrate the vast amount. “These mermen are some of the great leaders of Tritonis from the past.”

“There are so many of them.”

“Well that would make sense, the Tritons have ruled for quite a while,” she said with what almost passed as a smile.

It faded at her acknowledgment of my clothing. “Oh my, you must be uncomfortable.”

Self-consciously, I smoothed my warm-up jacket, pushing it taunt against my body. It wasn’t until now that I also acknowledged my own clothing. The cotton fabric felt heavy and billowed instead of lying flat.

My unease was met with a light chuckle that YaYa quickly covered with a fisted hand to her lips. “Adrian, please show Annabelle to her room. After she is settled you both will meet me in the parlor.”

“Sure thing. Right this way,” he said gesturing like a butler.

He, on the other hand, was met with her pursed lips and a soft smack on the arm.

More portraits, suits of armor, and various statues lined the way to my room, all positioned along the walls. With each stroke, I imagined myself walking the halls of a medieval castle.

Now my room, not so much. It didn’t look medieval at all. In fact, it could’ve been pulled straight from a romance novel. An enormous four-post bed stood against one wall, with a dressing table, mirror, and stool opposite to it. A large wardrobe and a little sitting area accented the large stain glass window to complete the decorum.

Everything looked so elegant, yet inviting. A quilt woven from various types of seaweed had been draped across my bed. I figured it’d be gross and slimy, but as I hesitantly reached out my hand it was soft to the touch. Surrounding my bed, a canopy danced in the water as I passed by. And, a few pieces of jewelry and a hairbrush already outfitted my dressing table. I’d be putting the latter to use immediately.

Adrian watched my eyes devour the room before he spoke. “So, I figure you’ll want to shower and stuff real quick before we go see YaYa.”

My face scrunched in confusion as I pondered the idea of showering while water completely immersed me, causing Adrian to burst into laughter.

It caused me to give him one of my legendary eye rolls. “Very funny.”

“Here,” he said as he threw open my wardrobe doors. “You should have plenty of options in here. I’ll give you a few minutes to change before meeting us in the parlor. Just go out your door, make a left, go down to the foyer, cut across to the other wing, go as far as you can, then make a left, and it’ll be the first door on your left.”

“No problem,” I said sarcastically. “I’ll be right down.”

Much to my delight, my wardrobe contained every possible color, neatly arranged starting with red. The thing was, each outfit was the same, just in a different color.

I pulled one out to further examine it and immediately felt skeptical about its appearance. I held a paper-thin leotard meant to cover my entire body, well except for my head and hands. At the bottom, my feet slipped into flippers that attached to each leg.

Having no other options, I climbed into the bodysuit. There wasn’t a zipper, or anything, but the material stretched enough that I slipped in through the neck hole and wiggled myself into place.

The one I picked was a metallic color designed in such a way that it reflected the colors around me. Sort of like a chameleon.

I raised my arms and kicked my legs, watching my own movements in the mirror. Each shift caught a different color from my room. I felt taller, leaner, and even sleeker from the snugness of it.

My first thought was that I looked like a superhero. A mermaid superhero. My next thought—I liked it. I can’t lie, I felt rather badass: ready to go out and conquer the world. Which reminded me, I needed to figure out why on earth I was here.

CHAPTER NINE

I made it to the parlor my first try without getting lost. I was rather proud of myself. Although, I was generally good with direction. My mom and Linds were the ones in the family who constantly got lost.